How Long Does it Take to Build a Home? The Timeline of a Custom Home

Building a custom home is a dream for many, offering the opportunity to create a space perfectly tailored to your tastes and lifestyle. One of the most common questions we get here at Heim Custom Homes is, “How long does it take to build a custom home?” 

The timeline of building your custom home can vary greatly depending on several factors. In this post, we’ll explore these factors, detail the steps of the building process, and provide an average timeline for building a custom home.

What Factors Affect How Long It Takes to Build a Home?

When it comes to timeline, many factors affect how long it will take to build your custom home. Here are a few of them.

Design Complexity

The more complex, custom, or intricate the design is, the longer you expect your home to take. Custom additions to floorplans or custom-drawn floorplans will almost always add additional time to your build. Communicate with your builder to understand how much complexity your ideas will add to the design of your home and talk about what you are expecting from your build. This will help you get a better understanding of your unique building process. 

Home Size

A 2,000-square-foot home will take much less time to build than a 6,000-square-foot home. Naturally, the larger the home, the longer the building timeline. Multiple stories or additions to your floor plan also contribute to this.

Site Preparation

The condition of your lot or build site contributes to the timeline of your build. Extensive cleaning, grading, and other prep work add time. You can also expect the same if you need to add anything to the building site, such as adding height to the lot in certain areas or manipulating the landscape.

Permits and Approvals

It takes time to obtain permits and approvals for construction in some neighborhoods or on your land. Local regulations can vary, and different rules may apply depending on what you’re building and where. Your builder can help you navigate this, and you can usually move this process along smoothly by staying in communication with the parties involved and following up regularly.

Weather Conditions

Adverse weather conditions can delay construction. Rain, snow, severe temperatures, and any other weather events that make it unsafe to work in the home can cause delays. Weather delays are common when it comes to building a custom home.

Material Availability

Delays in the delivery of certain materials can slow down the construction process. You may also see delays if you are using hard-to-get, high-end, or special-order items in your build that take longer to procure. 

Highly Custom Features

Just like we mentioned above, highly custom, special items, and materials will often extend the timeline of your home build. 

Steps in the Custom Homebuilding Process

To better understand the timeline, let’s break down the custom home-building process into its key steps and typical durations.

1. Initial Planning and Design (1-3 months)

This phase involves meeting with builders, designers, and contractors to create the blueprint of your dream home. This step includes finalizing the design, selecting materials, and creating detailed plans. Depending on the complexity, this can take anywhere from one to three months. Your builder will most likely handle most of this planning and communication while keeping you in the loop and ensuring you’re involved in important decisions.

2. Permitting and Approvals (1-3 months)

Obtaining the necessary permits and approvals from local authorities can take one to three months. This timeline can vary depending on the efficiency of the local permitting office and any specific requirements for your build. Your builder can give you more information on this process and help you navigate it.

3. Site Preparation (1 month)

Once permits are in place, site preparation begins. This includes clearing the land, grading, and setting up the foundation. This phase typically takes one to two months, but it can be shorter in many cases.

4. Foundation (1 month)

Pouring the foundation is a critical step that usually takes about a month, including curing time. During this step, other elements of the build are also prepared such as plumbing and electrical features that will be important later.

5. Framing (1-6 weeks)

The framing phase involves building the skeleton of the home, including walls, floors, and the roof. This can vary in length depending on the size and complexity of the home. Most custom homes tend to take 1-6 weeks for framing with most homes taking about 2 weeks to complete the framing phase.

6. Exterior Work (1-2 weeks)

Installing windows, doors, and the roof, as well as exterior finishes like siding and brickwork, can take one to two weeks. The type of exterior finishes you choose affects how long this step will take. Windows, doors, and roofing will be completed in 1-2 weeks.  Once the frame and inspections are complete, the exterior finishes like brick and siding are completed in 1-2 weeks.

7. Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC (4-6 weeks)

Installing the internal systems of the home, including plumbing, electrical, and heating/cooling systems, usually takes 4-6 weeks. 

8. Insulation and Drywall (3-5 weeks)

Once the internal systems are in place, insulation and drywall can be installed. This typically takes 3-5 weeks depending on the size of your home, the amount of rooms you have, and if you have any special features in your home requiring unique drywall configurations or other materials.

9. Interior Finishes (3-4 months)

This phase involves installing flooring, cabinetry, countertops, paint, and other interior finishes. Depending on the level of customization and detail, this can take three to four months. Most custom homes require more time in this category, as the interior finishes are where your custom build comes to life.

10. Final Inspections and Touch-Ups (4-5 weeks)

The final step involves inspections to ensure everything meets code and is built to specifications, followed by any necessary touch-ups or adjustments. This usually takes 4-5 weeks. Your home will also be cleaned and checked for any needed final finishing touches before you move in.

Average Timeline for Building a Custom Home

Considering the factors and steps above, the average custom home can take 7 months to 14 months to build. Larger, more complex homes may take longer than this estimated timeline. A custom home is a large investment of time, but one that is well worth it!

Conclusion - Getting Started on Your Custom Home

Building a custom home is a significant investment of time and resources, but the result—a home perfectly tailored to your needs and desires—is well worth the wait. By understanding the factors that affect the timeline and the steps involved, you can better prepare for the journey ahead. 

If you're ready to start planning your custom home, contact us today at Heim Custom Homes to begin turning your dream into reality! Take a look at our gallery for examples of homes we’ve built across the Oklahoma City Metro area, and see our available homes for move-in-ready homes in the area.